GOLF, THE MENTAL PRACTICE

Create your own Mental Golf Academy. Mentally create a place where you can go that is reflecting the best aspects of yourself and your game. This room is where you celebrate your peak abilities and peak experiences. In this room you become energized. You have a sense of command over our experiences. It is your ultimate learning center, your mental golf academy. Once you have found this room it is time to practice.

Guided imagery or directed imagination works by relaxing yourself for three or four minutes. Get into a relaxed state of mind. Shut your eyes, focus on your breathing and tell your body to relax. Concentrate on your favorite golf course, Augusta, St. Andrews, or Pebble Beach. Focus on feeling really good, recall images that are relaxing and tranquil, like your favorite course at dawn covered in dew and you and your caddy are the first to play it that day.

Imagine yourself in your ideal golf academy. Make it bright, make it comfortable, including a big video screen, a video tape player, and a soft leather chair.

Turn on the video tape player. See yourself in the situation that is causing you a problem. Actually feel the problem, physically enter the video screen. Then see yourself taking the videotape out of the VCR and throwing it away in the garbage can.

Put in a new videotape of your perfect golf swing. Focus on the tape playing our ideal swing. Project yourself into the screen and be in the body of the person performing the swing.

The key is to first disassociate and then associate. Watch the screen, then step into your body and feel your body hitting this shot. It should help your game significantly with all the feelings of confidence. Amplify these feelings of confidence by repeating the image and sensation three to five times.

Create a trigger word like “Augusta” or “Chivas Irons” and know that you now have a link to your peak performance state. Your trigger acts as a tool to automatically access this peak performance state. Incorporate this trigger word into your pre-shot routine.

Sue Stebbins CLH, High Performance Coach, Norwalk, CT works with individuals, executives and organizations on high performance coaching for sports, corporate peak performance, stress and conflict.

Disclaimer
All Successwaves programs and tapes are designed for your personal use in a self-development program, and are not intended as a substitute for therapeutic or medical attention of any nature. If you have a history of health, psychological, or psychiatric problems, you should consider consulting a doctor or therapist before hand.